In an effort to bring back life to Montreal’s downtown and convince workers to come back, the chamber of commerce has unveiled a new rooftop basketball court — with a twist.
The new interactive basketball court is in the heart of downtown on the rooftop of the Delta Hotel on President Kennedy. Mini basketball games are played on the court with smart baskets that light up to guide the game.
It’s a concept created by local design studio Harrison Fun in collaboration with the Montreal Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.
“Clearly the idea here is to make a fun space, but the dynamic of playing, the dynamic of doing some sports with colleagues, I think we miss that,” said Michel Leblanc, the chamber’s president and CEO.
Each team is assigned a colour and when the net lights up with that colour the team must shoot the ball in that specific net. Whoever gets the most shots wins.
“It’s to create a physical experience with this inspiration for every (person) — the young, the worker, family friends,” said Amelie Madrid, a project director at Harrison Fun Studio.
“You can come solo or with friends. The best for me is eight people for the ideal experience but if you are 12 or 20, it’s no problem.”
Even Canadian Elite Basketball League team the Montreal Alliance is hoping to get involved.
“It’s something that we are already looking into, “said Greg Trahan, the pro team’s ticket director. “I think it’s great.”
This project is part of the chamber’s Ré·Créationmtl programming, supported by the Quebec government, as part of the “I love working downtown” initiative.
“You won’t see this in the neighbourhood outside of the downtown, so it’s fun, if you come here and you work here,” said Leblanc.
Reservations to book a one-hour slot can be made online and it’s free. The court is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and will be available until September.
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